With almost all now set for the Community-driven Participatory Development Programme (PNDP) to take phase III of its projects off the ground, beneficiary populations are certainly beaming with enthusiasm to see what projects will be financed in their localities.

 Indeed, their expectations are legitimate given what the programme has done in the already reached areas in terms of development.

Official statistics show that since 2004 when the programme saw the light of day, the living conditions of millions of Cameroonians in rural areas have been improved upon and about 900 boreholes constructed to supply thousands of households with potable water. Over 1,726 birth certificates and 1,010 national identity cards are also said to have been issued to pygmies, 32 health centres constructed to facilitate access to affordable health care as well as 161 km of farm-to-market roads constructed to facilitate the movement of people and goods. If only for these and other achievements, many could fervently pray for its continuation.

News therefore that funding for the third phase is available ignites joy and raises hope in the population, especially those earmarked by the life-changing projects. In effect, a FCFA 42 billion loan agreement was signed Wednesday between the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze and the World Bank Director of Operations in Cameroon, Elisabeth Huybens to rumble off the programme’s third phase.

What makes the soon-to-start third phase of PNDP more interesting is the announced priority for areas not reached by the last two phases. This gives the programme a national touch. But beyond that, giving the significant share of the funds (42 per cent) to a development-challenging region like the Far North manifests the human face absolutely needed by a programme of this nature. Imposed insecurity in the region owing to barbaric activities of extremist Boko Haram sect has pulled back her development. This therefore needed unreserved attention, part of which is already contained in the PNDP phase III.

As the stakeholders brace up to start field work when the funds are disbursed, it would be of utmost importance to reinforce the participatory approach in development that the programme set out to achieve. This entails going to the population, discussing with them on their needs and seeing how and when the programme could step in. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be Yaounde bureaucrats sitting in air-conditioned offices to choose what they deem good for people in rural settings. Thank God PNDP works with councils, through their various council development plans which have almost all been drawn up and endorsed. Even with the development plans, there is need to ensure that projects are taken to where and when they are needed. It doesn’t serve any purpose digging boreholes, for example, where the local population; through their village development associations, have procured potable water.  

Beneficial populations will better express their needs, appreciate any project that comes to meet their needs and jealously preserve whatever is given them following their request. The FCFA 42 billion is by every means largely insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population. But if there is genuine synergy between them and the benefactor, whatever is realized would constitute a leap in the socio-economic life of the beneficiaries. Once there is proper synergy between all the actors in the programme’s chain, value is given to what is achieved and follow up made easier on executed projects. Only then can reckless wastes noticed in some executed projects be averted. After all, very few or even none would give due value to projects imposed on their communities, at times when they do not even need them.